The present invention relates generally to a fastening system for a wearing article and particularly to such a fastening system for a disposable diaper.
There are well known fastening systems for connect front and rear waist regions of a wearing article by means of a mechanical fastener comprising a hook component and a loop component detachably engageable with the hook component. For example, National Publication of translated version No. 2002-532147 (hereinafter referred to as “Reference 1”) discloses a diaper adapted to be fastened around a diaper wearer's body by means of the mechanical fasteners respectively provided on transversely opposite side edges of the diaper. The diaper disclosed therein adopts the fastening system having the hook component 107 provided on an outer side of the diaper as illustrated in FIG. 5A in the accompanying drawing of the present specification, taking account of a possibility that it might create a feeling of discomfort against the wearer if the hook component 107 come in contact with the wearer's skin.
However, even in the case of such a fastening system having the hook element 107 protruding outward with respect to the wearer's body, it is likely that the hook component 107 might be curled as illustrated in FIG. 5B and irritate the wearer' skin if a force F functioning to disengage the hook component 107 from the loop component is exerted on a free end 113 of a attachment sheet 120 carrying the hook component 107.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 1997-191908 (hereinafter referred to as “Reference 2”) discloses a fastening system having a construction as illustrated in FIG. 5C, wherein the hook component 107 is bonded to the attachment sheet 120 through the intermediary of a base sheet 105 which is, in turn, provided on its rear surface with a joining area 114 and a non-joining area 115 to the diaper, and the non-joining area 115 is located aside toward the free end 11 of the hook component 107. With this fastening system, it is unlikely that the hook component 107 might be easily disengaged from the loop component 108 even if the hook component 107 is moved so as to be vertically spaced from the loop component 108.
In the case of the fastening system disclosed in Reference 2, the base sheet 105 is provided on its rear side with the joining area 114 and the non-joining area 115 to the attachment sheet 120. Such an arrangement certainly ensure that a section of the attachment sheet 120 extending from a border 127 between the joining area 114 and the non-joining area 115 to the free end 113 is deformed, as illustrated in FIG. 5C, in response to the force F oriented to disengage the hook component 107 from the loop component 108 and thereby the hook component 107 is protected from being easily curled.
With the fastening system disclosed in Reference 2, however, should an engagement strength between the hook component 107 and the loop component 108 is higher than tear strength of the base sheet 105, it is likely that the hook component 107 could not be disengaged from the loop component 108 in the non-joining area 115 and, as a result, the base sheet 105 might be torn apart along the border 127 between the joining area 114 and the non-joining area 115.